“The enemy targeted a residential area in a densely populated district of Odesa,” mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov wrote on the Telegram messaging app, sharing pictures of a fire blazing and apartment buildings with windows smashed and facades damaged.

Governor Oleh Kiper said that three people were injured in the attack and were receiving medical help.

The Ukrainian air force said on Tuesday that Russia launched 54 drones in an attack overnight, of which 38 were shot down and 16 did not reach their targets, likely due to electronic warfare countermeasures.

Kiper said the attack on Odesa damaged dwellings, civilian infrastructure, an educational institution and vehicles.

Videos shared by the emergency services showed crews putting out a large fire in one of the damaged buildings.

Odesa, with its three ports, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks in the more than three-year-old war with Russia.